CLINICAL
CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY
Read articles about clinical microbiology from Microbiologics’ experts and other field experts. Learn about clinical lab best practices, case files, identifying viral, fungal, bacterial, and parasitic agents contributing to the infectious process, and more.
Uses and Advantages of Synthetic RNA Process Controls for SARS-CoV-2 Assays
For a highly infectious virus like SARS-CoV-2, an inactivated whole virus control is the gold standard for accuracy. For labs that opt for other control formats, synthetic RNA controls can provide many of the same qualities as inactivated whole virus controls. While...
Advantages of Whole Virus Controls for SARS-CoV-2 Quality Control
The COVID-19 pandemic has put increasing pressure on front-line healthcare workers to deliver fast and accurate test results. For any clinical diagnostic testing, laboratory professionals need assurance that sample preparation methods, as well as the instrumentation...
COVID-19 and Proficiency Testing
I think by now it is safe to say that we are truly living in unprecedented times with the current Coronavirus pandemic. The majority of us have never experienced anything even remotely similar to this in our lives before. If you are currently a front-line worker in...
Thank You to Lab Technicians During the COVID-19 Global Emergency
Since the outbreak of COVID-19, we've seen things that only a short time ago would have seemed unimaginable. At Microbiologics, we wanted to highlight some of the important work that often goes unseen and unappreciated. In this video, we show our support for the lab...
2019 Novel Coronavirus: What Microbiologists Need to Know
By Marylou Gibson, Ph.D. Background on 2019 Novel Coronavirus The 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) continues to spread within China (as of this posting date). Cases are spreading beyond Hubei province, and thousands of infected people have been reported in more than...
9 Gram Staining Best Practices
Gram staining is an important procedure all microbiologists should master. A laboratorian performs a Gram stain for many reasons - from screening the quality of a sputum sample to rapid presumptive diagnosis of an illness like bacterial meningitis. How to Perform a...
Clinical Case File Results: Persistent Dysuria
Photo Source: Lind, Lancet 1982 Last week we shared the Clinical Case File of a patient with persistent dysuria and asked our readers to determine the cause of the symptom. Here are the poll results: Adenovirus (4%, 7 Votes) Herpes simplex virus (9%, 21 Votes) Human...
Clinical Case File: Persistent Dysuria
Read the case study below and then use your microbiology expertise to determine which pathogen is causing the symptoms. The results will be shared on August 1, 2019. Good luck! Background: Determining which sexually transmitted infection (STI) is causing uncomfortable...
Tips for Choosing and Using Microorganisms for Education
In 2016, two biologists from Indiana University estimated that there are about a trillion species of bacteria on earth.1 With so many choices, how can a teacher select the best strains for her microbiology class? Below are a few tips for choosing and using...
Ask a CAP Inspector: How Frequently Should Molecular Targets Be Rotated?
Q: How frequently should I test targets for my molecular multiplex testing assays? A: This is a common question for inspectors, vendors, and laboratorians. Unfortunately, there are no cut-and-dried answers, but there are some best practices that you can apply in your...
